Shrewsbury’s national award-winning Market Hall will be part of the town’s Food Festival line-up in The Quarry Park this coming weekend.
A diverse selection of independent traders, from the hugely popular market, will showcase their artisan products and creative talents over the two-day event this Saturday and Sunday.
The market hall tent will feature everything from fascinating insights into the ‘dangerous history of spices’ and ‘the natural wine revolution’ to tastings, demonstrations and jewellery-making.
There will also be Dubai chocolate strawberry pots, show-stopping cakes and a selection of some of the most popular items from the market’s makers and creators.
Saturday’s market hall line-up includes handmade chocolates and chocolate strawberry pots with Chocolicious, houseplants and handmade botanical wax melts and home fragrances by Aroma Quartz, cakes by The Market Café, and a foodie charm bar with Easthope Studio.
Easthope Studio’s handmade Murano glass food charms are inspired by kitchen tables, deli counters and the market hall itself.
Sunday sees wine talks and tastings with natural wine specialist Iron & Rose, Romy Design’s Shropshire Explorer range of clothing and homewares – inspired by the Shropshire countryside, cooking gadget demonstrations with the Market Cookshop, and spice talks with chef and spice expert Natalie Jenkins of Moreish World Food and Black Box Spices.
Natalie’s talks are entitled ‘Spice Empire: The Dark Side of Food – a story about what we eat and who paid the price’. The talks concentrate on ‘the bloody history of pepper’, ‘the deadly history of parsley’ and ‘belladonna and the fatal allure of nightshade’. The talks will take place at 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm.
“Many of our traders have been part of the Food Festival, over the last 12 years, but this will be the first time that the Market Hall will take part in the festival within The Quarry Park,” said market manager Amy Williams, of Shropshire Council.
“It will give visitors a real taste of the breadth of quality and talent of the independent businesses to be found in the market which was voted Britain’s Favourite Market for the fourth time this year.”
Commercial, Markets and Events Manager Ian Thorpe, of Shrewsbury Town Council, said: “Our wonderful market hall makes a massive contribution to the food and drink culture within Shrewsbury.
“It’s one of the most important creative communities in the town, so it’s fantastic to see it be part of the main Food Festival event this year. We hope as many festival goers, as possible, will pay our traders a visit and also enjoy trying out the Shrewsbury Market Hall giant deckchair!”